Alperen Şengün Lifts Rockets Over Mavericks 110-99

The Houston Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 110-99 behind a strong all-around performance from star center Alperen Şengün.

Jan 1, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) drives with the ball as Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center. They were looking to start the new year right by snapping a two-game losing streak.

Houston came out the gates cold, struggling to string together some points on consecutive possessions. Dallas's star wing Klay Thompson started off hot, hitting three triples in the first, leading the team to a quick lead early on in the game.

Rockets star guard Jalen Green also got off to quick start of his own, scoring eight points in the first quarter to keep the game within striking distance.

The Mavericks held a 10-point lead up until about four minutes into the second quarter, but then Houston came fighting back as it woke up on the offensive end. It went on a 31-12 run fueled by Cam Whitmore's explosiveness and star center Alperen Şengün's success finishing around the rim.

Dallas had no answer for that run as Şengün continued to pounce it in the third quarter, helping build a 14-point lead over it. The Rockets then closed out the game behind with their fierce defensive energy, defeating the Mavericks 110-99.

Şengün led Houston in the scoring department Wednesday night, scoring 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, but that wasn't the most impressive part of his game.

He had a great all-around performance, grabbing 6 boards and dishing out 4 assists. Şengün was also a big factor on the defensive end, racking up 6 steals with his quick hands.

The Rockets end their two-game losing streak and now sit at 22 wins on the season, just half a game under the Memphis Grizzlies for the second seed in the Western Conference.

They will look to build on this win on Friday as they host an Eastern Conference powerhouse in the Boston Celtics.

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